Indirect lighting unit



Feb. 1, 1938. c. DOANE INDIRECT LIGHTING UNIT Filed April 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTOR Leroy C.'D0ane ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STAES PATENT OFFIQE INDIRECT LIGHTING UNIT Leroy C. Doane, Meriden, Conn, assignor to The Miller Company, Meriden, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application April 5, 1935, Serial No. 14,756

'7 Claims.

The present invention relates to indirect lighting units more particularly designed for use near the ceiling. The present invention contemplates the provision of enclosed ceiling type lighting 5 units having vertical glass walls through which the light is transmitted preferably by suitably located reflectors toward the ceiling for ceiling illumination. By employing vertical or substantially vertical side walls in the glass enclosure loss of efiiciency due to accumulation of dirt is avoided.

ordinary enclosed lighting units.

The fixtures may be constructed to use one central light source and the surfaces be surfaces of revolution about a vertical axis through this source, or they may be constructed in elongated units.

Another object of the present invention is to so design the fixture that when mounted very close to the ceiling, no shadow is caused by the opaque supports. These supports are made as shallow as possible and the upwardly directed light from the enclosure walls illuminates the adjacent portion of the ceiling so that the shadow is eliminated. Other and further objects of the invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, several embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawings:

Fig, 1 is a side elevational view of a complete lighting unit showing in dot and dash lines the light distribution in a vertical plane;

Fig. 2 is an outline side elevational view of a.

lighting unit of a different shape;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view in a vertical plane through the lighting unit of Fig. l;

' Figs. 4 and 4a are similar views through modified forms of lighting unit; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a further modifled form of lighting unit.

which supports a socket carrying strap l2.

The

socket is indicated at l3 and the lamp bulb at It. The outer ends of the strap H are bent downwardly as indicated and carry screws it.

A sheet metal stamping it is supported from these screws by nuts indicated at ii. The stamping 58 is apertured as indicated at E8 to accommodate the neck of the lamp bulb and extends upwardly and outwardly so as to distributethe light as indicated by the light rays l 9-59. The outer portion of the stamping it is drawn upwardly as indicated at 28, outwardly as indicated at it and downwardlyas indicated at 22. This outwardly extending portion may be made ornamental if desired. It is spaced from the portion 2%! a sufiicient amount to accommodate the shade and is provided with shade supporting screws 23.

The parts above described form a fixed unit which may be secured to the ceiling so as to project below the ceiling line CL as indicated.

The glass enclosure 25 may be made of various ornamental shapes, but it is preferably provided with smooth slightly diifusing vertical side walls 2%. The desired amount of diffusion may be had by light acid etching or by vertical ribbing in clear glass. This glass difiers from opal. glass, enameled glass and the like usually used in globes for lighting fixtures where the bulb is obscured by the glass envelope. In such cases the glass is sufficiently diffusing to break up the light rays in their passage, so that practically all the rays delivered originate in the glass. Such glass possesses a negligible amount of directional transmission, and is of substantially uniform bright.- ness in all directions of observation. The slightly diffusing glass employed here has very low brightness at angles out of the angle of the dominant directional transmitted rays. The upper end of the globe or shade 2-5 is detachably secured in place, for example, by the screws 23 which pass through holes 2? in the glass.

The lower part 28 of the enclosure 25 may be of hemispherical shape as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 or may be stepped as indicated at 28' in Fig. 2. It may be the same piece of glass with the same difiusion characteristic, or a separate bowl.

A lower reflector preferably of sheet metal is indicated at 30. This reflector has a shallow dished portion 3! and a deep dished portion 32 toaccommodate the bulbous portion of the bulb. It is centrally apertured as indicated at 33. The outer edge of the reflector 35 is preferably very close to the inner wall of the glass shade. The reflector 30 is secured in position by a number of posts 34 carried by a reflecting plate 35.

This plate receives light rays such as 35 passing through the opening 33 and reflects them upwardly so as to scatter them about in the lower portion of the shade so that this will be dimly lighted. In order that the reflector 35 will be fixedly held in position in the bottom of the hemispherical shade a bolt 31 is provided. This bolt passes down through an opening 38 in the shade and an ornamental nut 39 supports an ornamental washer 40 and a sheet metal plate 4|. This plate conforms to the bottom of the shade.

The vertical light distribution of a fixture such as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is shown by the dot and dash lines 42 of Fig. 1. From this it will be apparent that nearly all of the light flux is emitted in an upwardly and outwardly spreading beam which strikes the ceiling close to the fixture and spreads out through a very wide vertical angle. Some light is directed downwardly into the lower part of the shade so that the shade is dimly illuminated as viewed from underneath.

Owing to the slightly diffusing nature of the glass employed in the upper part of the enclosure, there are no sharp shadows on the glass and the interior structure is concealed from view. When looking at the fixture the surface brilliancy at ordinary angles of observation is comparatively uniform, there is no unpleasant brightness contrast with the adjacent ceiling. The eye of the observer is not aware of the intense upwardly directed beams of light under the control of the reflectors. The diffusion of the glass is insuflicient to overcome the dominant direction of the direct and reflected light rays.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 the glass shade 50 is of the same character as that shown in Fig. 3 except that it is not provided with the supporting holes near the upper edge. The fixture supporting strap 5| carries the lamp socket 52 and lamp bulb 53 in the same manner as above described. A reflector stamping 54 is secured to the strap 5| by screws 55 and this stamping extends out beyond the upper edge of the glass shade as indicated. The stamping 54 has two holes 56 adapted to receive the upper hooked ends of straps 51. The lower end of the straps 51 are secured to a lower reflector 58 resembling the reflector 3B of Fig. 3. The reflector 58 is centrally apertured as indicated at 59 and carries a bent strap indicated at Bil. This strap supports a threaded stud 6| which receivesan ornamental nut 52. A cover plate 63 is interposed between the head. of the nut and the bottom of the glass shade.

In the form indicated in Figure 4a, the reflector 58' is suspended by hooks 51' carried from the strap 5!. The other parts are like those of Figure 4 and are indicated by the same reference characters.

In the forms of construction of Figures 4 and 4a, the lower reflector and the glass shade are supported by means of the straps 51 or hooks 51. To re-lamp the fixture the nut 62 is removed and this permits the lowering of. the glass shade. One of the straps 5'! is bent as indicated by dot and dash lines to release the'hook from the stamping or the hook 5'! released and the reflector swung about so that the lamp bulb may be removed.

The form shown in Fig. 5 is designed more particularly for small units to harmonize with the larger units of Figures 3 and 4. In this construction the socket 65 and upper plate 66 are 'the shade 53 of Fig. 4 is supported.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in several forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, and I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are I but a few of the many forms.

Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

I claim: 1. A ceiling type lighting fixture comprising a translucent enclosure having slightly diffusing vertical side walls for directional transmission of light and a closed bottom, a centrally disposed pendant lamp socket and bulb, a downwardly dished reflector extending across the enclosure below the bulb and at substantially the lower portion of said vertical walls for upwardly and outwardly reflecting light toward the walls of the enclosure above the reflector, the reflector having a small opening below the lamp bulb to allow the escape of light downwardly for dimly lighting the portion of the enclosure below the reflector, a reflecting plate in the lower portion of the enclosure and acting to reflect light received through the opening, and spacer means between the plate and the reflector for supporting the reflector in position. 7

2. A ceiling type lighting fixture comprising a translucent enclosure having. slightly diffusing vertical side walls for directional transmission of light and a closed bottom, a centrally disposed pendant lamp socket and bulb, a downwardly dished reflector extending across the enclosure below the bulb and at substantially the lower portion of said vertical walls for upwardly and outwardly reflecting light toward the walls of the enclosure above the reflector, the reflector having a small opening below the lamp bulb to allow the escape of light downwardly for dimly lighting the portion of the enclosure below the reflector, a second reflector in the upper part of the enclosure, said second reflector being apertured to receive the lamp bulb and flared to outwardly reflect light toward the enclosure being concealed thereby, a reflecting plate in the lower portion of the enclosure and acting to reflect light received through the opening, and spacer means between the plate and the first mentioned reflector for supporting the same in position.

3. A ceiling type lighting fixture comprising a translucent enclosure having slightly diffusing vertical side walls for directional transmission of light and a closed bottom, a centrally disposed pendant lamp socket and bulb, a downwardly dished reflector extending across the enclosure below the bulb and at substantially the lower portion of said vertical walls for upwardly and outwardly reflecting light toward the walls of the enclosure above the reflector, the reflector having a small opening below the lamp bulb to allow the escape of light downwardly for dimly lighting the portion of the enclosure below the reflector, a second reflector in the upper part of the enclosure, said second reby and being concealed thereby, the upper reflector being the central part of a stamping whose outer portion extends beyond the enclosure, and means for supporting the enclosure and lower reflector from the upper reflector.

4. A lighting fixture comprising a translucent enclosure having slightly diflusing vertical walls for directional transmission of light and a closed bottom, a downwardly and inwardly flaring centrally apertured reflector disposed in the upper part of the enclosure, a lamp socket above the aperture, a lamp bulb carried in the socket and extending through the aperture in the reflector, a second reflector disposed across the enclosure at substantially the lower portion of said vertical walls, the second reflector being dished to accommodate the bulbous portion of the lamp bulb, whereby substantially all the light is transmitted by said vertical walls without substantial change in direction, the second reflector having a small opening to allow light to escape downwardly for illumination of the lower portion of the bowl at low intensity, an enclosure support, a reflecting plate carried in the lower portion of the enclosure and acting to reflect light received through the opening in the second reflector, and spacer means between the plate and the second reflector for supporting the same in place.

5. An indirect lighting fixture comprising a relatively deep translucent enclosure having slightly diffusing vertical side walls for directional transmission of light, means for supporting the fixture from a ceiling, a lamp socket, a lamp bulb carried thereby and depending into said enclosure, an upwardly and outwardly divergent reflector extending from the top portion of the enclosure down adjacent the lamp bulb to enclose the socket and neck of the bulb and reflect light outwardly at high angles, and a dished reflector spaced below the first reflector and below the light source and comprising a substantially spherical central portion and a peripheral portion extending to the enclosure Walls, the central portion reflecting light rays upwardly against the first reflector for re-reflection thereby and for reflecting other rays through the enclosure walls between the reflectors, said dished reflector having an opening at its center in line with the lower end of the light source for downward emission of direct light rays therethrough and into the lower portion of the enclosure to obtain a low surface brightness thereof below said dished reflector, the reflectors being obscured by the translucent enclosure walls.

6. An indirect lighting fixture comprising a support, a lamp socket and bulb depending from said support, an inverted annular channel member carried at the ends of said support, a deep translucent enclosure depending from the channel in said annular member and having slightly diffusing side walls for directional transmission of light, a downwardly convergent frusto-oonical reflector depending from the ends of said support within the upper portion of the enclosure and disposed above the lamp bulb and enclosing the socket and the neck of the bulb, and a dished reflector within said enclosure and spaced below said first reflector and the light bulb and comprising a substantially spherical central portion and a peripheral portion extending to the enclosure walls, the central portion reflecting light rays upwardly against the first reflector for re-reflection thereby and for reflecting other rays through the enclosure walls between the reflectors to provide low surface brightness to the enclosure above the dished reflector when viewed from below the dished reflector, while the dominant rays are projected upwardly for ceiling illumination, the reflectors being obscured by the translucent enclosure walls.

'l. The lighting fixture as set forth in claim 6, wherein said dished reflector has an opening at its center in line with the lower end of the lamp bulb for a downward emission of direct light rays therethrough into the enclosure below the dished reflector, and a supplemental reflector is positioned in the bottom of the enclosure to intercept light rays and scatter the same to illuminate the lower portion of the enclosure.

LEROY C. DOANE. 

